Culture, Disability & Television

Abstract

Culture surrounds us in every aspect of our daily lives and has a direct effect on our values, beliefs and interactions with others (Peters 2005). This paper starts with an overview of the multiple meanings of culture and the various forms in which it may be manifested through cultural representations. It then proceeds to give a brief historical background on the expected roles of disabled people within society and how the importance of making the ‘voice’ of disabled people heard is conveyed through art and culture, including the Disability Arts Movement. The paper questions whether more mainstream cultural forms can be used as a tool in giving a more accurate depiction of disability to a larger audience within society. Using current, mainstream English and American television programs, this paper explores whether modern day television programmes are including positive representation of disability, or whether negative stereotypes are still more prevalent. A distinction is made between the presence of disabled people in reality series’ and the roles ascribed to disabled characters in fictional television serials and both forms are therefore discussed separately accordingly. The paper also covers the issue of crip drag, and its significance to disability activism. In conclusion, I’ve noted that although there is an increase in the presence of disabled people in everyday mainstream television, they are still saturated with stereotypes, and only a higher number of disabled people in front of and behind the camera can use television as a powerful medium in projecting a positive portrayal. **Keywords**: Disability, culture, television, TV, crip, crip drag, activism, disabled character, mainstream, positive portrayal